£1.75million fund to encourage movie and TV producers to film in Scotland is launched

00:01, 4 Sep 2015

ByScotland Now

IT is hoped the Production Growth Fund will help attract major international productions to Scotland as well as boosting home-grown talent.

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Outlander was filmed in Scotland

A £1.75MILLION fund to encourage movie and TV producers to film in Scotland has been launched.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop unveiled the Production Growth Fund which it is hoped will help attract major international productions to Scotland as well as boosting home-grown talent.

Ms Hyslop said: "The Scottish Government and its agencies are firmly committed to supporting screen-sector growth and promoting Scotland as a premier and competitive location to produce great films and TV shows.

"We are genuinely working very hard to make this happen - as underlined by the increase in public funding allocated to support screen since 2007, during a period of tough budgets."

The money will be made available over two years, with the cash coming from the existing Scottish Government and Creative Scotland budgets.

The initiative was launched ahead of a debate in Holyrood on the creative industries.

Ms Hyslop added: "The Production Growth Fund I am announcing today will help to attract new inward investment, further support home-grown productions and will boost Scotland's economy as well as our international reputation."

Natalie Usher, director of screen at Creative Scotland, said it was a "strong indication of our government's determination to create the best possible environment for the screen sector to thrive".

The new fund is being set up after Ms Hyslop announced work was being carried out to develop more incentives for film TV companies to come to Scotland, in a bid to match those available in other countries and boost investment.